Nicotinamide mononucleotide (abbreviated as “NMN”) is an intermediate metabolite of the coenzyme, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+).
NAD+ is an electron carrier present in all living species. The correlation between NAD+ and sirtuins, which are NAD+-dependent deacetylases such as Sirt1 and Sirt3 and are involved in aging phenomena, has attracted attention in recent years. It is thought that aging phenomena can be inhibited by increasing intracellular NAD+.
Antiaging action has also been observed for NMN, an intermediate metabolite of NAD+, in the same manner as NAD+ in dosing studies on mice (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). Therefore, utilization of the antiaging action of NMN is being examined in applications such as topical skin preparations, cosmetics and food additives.
However, NMN is a highly polar substance. Consequently, even if NMN is used as a material for topical skin preparations, adequate absorbability in the body is not obtained due to the inadequate skin permeability thereof. A method consisting of introducing a lipophilic functional group into NMN has been considered as a method for improving the skin permeability of NMN.
For example, Non-Patent Document 2 proposes a method for synthesizing a phosphodiester-type NMN, which is an NMN derivative having a lipophilic functional group. In addition, Non-Patent Document 2 indicates an example of synthesizing diacetyl NMN, a synthesis intermediate in which two hydroxyl groups of NMN are acetylated.